Happy Pork Shoulder Month

I just started messing around with pork shoulder. It has rapidly become one of my favorite cuts of meat. It's very versatile, takes other flavors well and is very forgiving.

All you need is prep and patience. You can't cook it fast, so plan ahead, hence my Saturday Night Shoulder technique.

Around the world, from Carnitas to Kahlua Pig to classic American Pulled Pork, everyone has their own way of cooking the shoulder.

So I said to myself: "Self, let's feature the pork shoulder for a month. Maybe next month we'll do something different."

So I'm reaching out to you and other great cooks I know for your favorite pork shoulder recipes and techniques. There are no wrong answers here. Please share with me at David at Dragon Knuckle dot com and I will post it here.

Let's Get to Know the Cut

You might not be a real butcher, so let's look at the pig part we're talking about.

Image via Shop Latin Touch

You can get it with or without the skin. You can get it bone-in or boneless.

Image via Flickr by Key West Wedding Photography

Image via WorldTradeDB

I've only worked with the bone-in skinless variety. I like the square shape and nice fat cap. It's tough to dry out but requires a along patient cooking time.

This is the Pork Shoulder Month into. I will soon be sharing my own style of making pulled pork. I have a fantastic Carnitas recipe from a well known chef. I will also bring the Hawaiian take on the pork shoulder.

What else can we do? It's a big porky world out there. Give me what you got.

Knuckling Up at the Pomona SoCal BBQ Bash

The Rub Life BBQ Team is going to battle in Pomona this weekend with Dragon Knuckle Gloves on their fists.

Yeah, that sounds a bit dramatic. It's not about the gloves. It's about heart, stomach, palate and skill. But there will be gloves and our logo on their banner, for which we are flattered and grateful.

Image via FernsBBQ on Instagram

This Saturday at the Pomona Fairplex from 11am to 6pm, it's going down. Lots of barbecue with games for the little kids, beer for the big kids and music for everyone.

Competing together in the Amateur category will be Fern's Semi-Famous BBQ, Krillyz Backyard BBQ and Sycamore Street BBQ. Smoking Ray's Backyard BBQ will be competing on his own. 7 Sins BBQ will be competing in the Professional category.

Image via FernsBBQ on Instagram

The Amateurs will be cooking chicken and ribs. The Professionals will be doing chicken, ribs, pork butt and brisket.

Here we are over a thousand miles north missing out on the whole thing. While not fit to compete, we are certainly prepared to eat and have fun. Too bad. We need a road trip.

Image via FernsBBQ on Instagram

Get your tickets here if you'll be in Southern California this weekend.

What Kind of Fool Grills a Banana?

Grillin' Fools grill bananas. That's who.

Scott Thomas, who is leader of the Grillin' Fools team along with his father Greg and Tom Jones, notes that no one ever grills breakfast or dessert.

I'll start, man. I promise, especially after seeing this Grilled Banana Split recipe.

Image via GrillinFools.com

Who are the Grillin' Fools?
Scott, Greg and Tom are active and passionate outdoor cookers based around St. Louis. They are dedicated to sharing their mistakes and triumphs in order to teach others. They don't cater, will never own a restaurant and they don't cook competitively.

They do host an annual Charity BBQ Competition, however, and can be talked into doing Grilling Classes.

Scott loves cooking together with his dad, but admits "we never cooked anything together until I started the website. I never cooked with him as a kid. He manned the grill and I watched. The running joke is I was sent to college with a suitcase and a grill. While we didn't cook much when I was young, we cook all the time together now and it's really special to have my dad around and doing this as a business together. Most people get those, 'pinch me, am I dreaming,' moments a few times in their lives. I get them dozens of times a year being able to cook with dad so often as well as the other BBQ related events we are able to do together."

Catch Scott cooking Bacon Pineapple Ribs with his Dragon Knuckle Gloves:

The way Grillin' Fools does recipes is unique and very detailed. In a narrative tone, they describe each step including products used and mistakes along the way. Then they finish with a printable recipe card you can easily save and store.

The Banana Split recipe caught my attention because it reminded me or a Brûléed Banana dessert I once served at a restaurant. That dish used a torch to caramelize sugar on bananas. Then came vanilla ice cream, berries, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Scott's take on this dish adds smoky flavor from the grill and that little kick of spice. Sweet and hot always go well together.

Image via GrillinFools.com

Lots of fruit goes nice on the grill. Peaches, apples, strawberries or anything firm enough to stay together. Just make sure the grill's not too hot and don't take your eye off it. Things can go wrong in a hurry.

Next time you step to the grill, try this one: Cut a pineapple into 1" rings. Cut off the peel and the core. Sprinkle it with sugar and put it on the grill until both sides are charred a bit. Then stick that on a plate and put a scoop of vanilla right in the hole in the middle. Berries, syrup and whipped cream couldn't hurt here.

Get out there and get foolish. Grill new stuff and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Find Grillin' Fools on Instagram and learn something.